Using Simulation to Model Queuing Problem at a Fast-Food Restaurant

Abstract

Queuing system is a process to measure the efficiency of the model in terms of utilization and waiting time. The queuing process is common in many locations, including supermarkets, petrol stations, fast-food restaurants and also in food courts. The data can be monitored using an empirical data which may include variables, such as arrival time in the queue (server) and service time. This study describes a queuing simulation for multi-server model. This research focused on a fast-food restaurant in Seremban. The data were collected on Friday during busy working hours, from (10.30 am to 2.30 pm). The model was developed using ARENA simulation software. The main aim of this paper is to describe the behaviour of a queuing system and develop a queuing model for the fast-food restaurant using ARENA. In this paper, queue length, queue time and system time are measured. It was found that during peak hour, there is a problem with keeping the customer in queue for a long period of time. The results show that the average queuing time at the restaurant exceeded the restaurant’s policy.